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Giants extend contracts for Sabean, Bochy through '16 with club option

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Press Release |

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - San Francisco Giants President and CEO Larry Baer today announced that the team has extended the contracts of Senior Vice President and General Manager Brian Sabean and Field Manager Bruce Bochy through the 2016 season, with options for both in 2017. Terms of the agreements were not disclosed.

Sabean, 56, has seen the club post a .537 winning percentage (1,392-1,198-1) during his tenure as General Manager. He is currently in his 17th year at the helm of the Giants, having guided the club to two World Championships (2010 and 2012), three National League pennants (2002, 2010 and 2012), five NL West Division flags (1997, 2000, 2003, 2010 and 2012), a Wild Card entry (2002) and forced a Wild Card tie-breaker game with Chicago in 1998.

"Brian has been the architect of one of the most successful periods in franchise history. He is a brilliant strategist who surrounds himself with some of the brightest minds in baseball - with Bruce Bochy topping that list," said Baer. "The Giants are very fortunate to have Brian and Bruce at the helm of our baseball operations and I look forward to more successful seasons in the coming years."

A 28-year veteran of professional baseball, Sabean's distinguished baseball pedigree has transformed San Francisco into the National League's third-winningest team over the past 16 seasons behind only Atlanta and St. Louis. Since Sabean assumed the GM reins at the end of the 1996 season, the Giants are one of only three teams in the Major Leagues that have been to the World Series three times or more since 1997 (also: Cardinals, 3 times and Yankees, 6 times) and are third in the National League with six post-season appearances in that span.

Honored as Major League Baseball's Executive of the Year by The Sporting News in 2003 and Baseball America in 2003 and 2012, Sabean has a proven track record in recognizing and developing highly regarded young talent. Of the 38 players on the Giants' 40-man roster, 21 are homegrown products who were either drafted or signed as amateurs by San Francisco - including 2012 National League MVP Buster Posey and 2012 World Series MVP Pablo Sandoval. The 2012 Championship rotation was comprised of four homegrown products in Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Ryan Vogelsong and Madison Bumgarner, as well as closer Sergio Romo.

Recently under Sabean's watch, the Giants' organization has received a number of prestigious awards, including the Topps Organization of the Year in 2009 and 2011 and the Baseball America Organization of the Year in 2010. These awards are given to Major League teams that show outstanding performance, depth and talent throughout their Major and Minor league teams.

During his tenure as GM, Sabean has acquired some of the game's best players via trades. They have included: Giants' All-Stars Jeff Kent, Jason Schmidt and Robb Nen, as well as standout per­formers Ellis Burks, Joe Carter, Andres Galarraga, Kenny Loften, Jose Mesa and J.T. Snow. The Giants GM has been known to bring reinforcements during the July 31 trading deadline, acquiring the likes of Carlos Beltran, Burks, Javier Lopez, Hunter Pence, Freddy Sanchez, Schmidt, Marco Scutaro and Randy Winn.

Sabean's 17 years as the Giants architect is the longest run by a general manager in the club's history, surpassing Spec Richardson (seven seasons, 1975-81), Al Rosen (seven seasons, 1986-92) and Tom Haller (five seasons, 1981-85). He also owns the longest tenure with the same club among active general managers.

Before coming to San Francisco, Sabean served in the Yankees organization as director of scouting from 1986-90 and as vice president of player development/scouting from 1990-92. During that time, the Yankees' farm system became one of baseball's finest, featuring such players as Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera. From 1993 to 1994, Sabean served as Giants' senior vice president of player personnel. From 1994 to 1996, he served as the Giants' assistant to the general manager and vice president of scouting/player personnel.

Bochy, 57, completed his sixth season as the manager of the Giants after coming to the organization prior to the 2007 season. During his six-year tenure, the team has posted a 503-469 (.517) record and won two World Series Championships. In doing so, Bochy became just the 23rd manager in MLB history to win at least two World Series. In his two post-season appearances with SF, he has guided the club to a 22-9 (.710) record, including an 8-1 mark in World Series play.

One of baseball's most qualified and experienced managers, Bochy recently completed his 18th-consecutive year as a big league skipper, the longest stint by an active manager. Bochy is third among active big league skippers in wins (1,454) and is 23rd on the all-time list, while his six playoff appearances are tied for the second-most among current major league managers.

"In my opinion Bruce is the best manager in the game today and is on his way to a Hall of Fame career," said Sabean. "Bruce's ability to communicate with his players, his outstanding coaching staff and the front office, as well as his ability to brilliantly manage a game sets him apart from the rest. It has been a pleasure to work with him for the past six years and I look forward to the coming years ahead."

The winningest manager in San Diego history, Bochy spent 12 years at the helm of the Padres, compiling a 951-975 (.494) career ledger while leading his club to the post-season four times and posting five winning campaigns.

He was named the National League Manager of the Year by the BBWAA in 1996 and was honored as the league's top skipper by The Sporting News in both 1996 and 1998. He guided the Padres to the National League West title in 1996, '98, 2005 and '06, while leading the 1998 charge to a club-record 98 victories, a National League pennant and a berth in the World Series against the Yankees.

Bochy also served as San Diego's third base coach in 1993 and 1994, before matriculating to the manager's chair on October 21, 1994. The Poway, CA resident was the only uniformed person to be a part of all five of the Padres post-season appearances, including as a player in 1984 and as the manager in 1996, '98, 2005 and '06.

The Landes de Boussac, France native is just the fourth Giants manager to be born outside of the United States, joining Jack Doyle (Ireland) in 1895, Arthur Irwin (Canada) in 1896 and Felipe Alou (Dominican Republic) in 2003. Bochy's father was enlisted in the U.S. Army and was stationed in France at the time of the Giants manager's birth. Last season he became the all-time winningest foreign-born manager in major league history, surpassing Felipe Alou.

The Florida State University product spent parts of nine seasons in the majors as a catcher with the Astros, Mets and Padres. He hit .239 with 26 home runs and 93 RBI in 358 games. Bochy was a post-season participant twice as a player, appearing with the 1980 Astros and 1984 Padres.